You Won’t Believe Illinois’ Most Misspelled Word in 2026

Illinois’ most misspelled word for 2026 has officially been revealed.

To be honest, I'm embarrassed to even tell you what it is.  It's so simple.

With the National Spelling Bee just ending, timing couldn't be better for a fresh look at America's most commonly misspelled words.

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Every year, there's a study conducted that reveals just how often people turn to Google for help spelling everyday terms, and the results are both surprising and relatable.  At the top of the list is "bougie," which racks up 134,400 searches... I am sad to say I have Googled how to spell it multiple times.  Lots of people spell it "boujee," so I get it!

Other words on the top of the most misspelled list:

• Tomorrow
• Definitely
• Beautiful
• Niece
• Separate
• Through
• Business
• Favorite

It's crazy that these are tough words for people because I would pass this spelling bee with flying colors!  English is my best subject, so I kind of pride myself on spelling things correctly, always.

What makes this study more interesting is how spelling challenges vary by state.

You Won’t Believe Illinois’ Most Misspelled Word in 2026

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In Illinois, the most commonly misspelled word is "color," while Wisconsin's is "business."

Even across neighboring states, language habits and common mistakes can differ in surprising ways.  It sucks, too, because the more kids use autocorrect on their phones and computers, the less they really know how to spell.  The digital world really ruins everything!

This study was conducted by Word Unscrambler.